Council Depot, Eshiels, Peebles, Peebles, Scottish Borders

Description

Circa 1905. Pair of attached rectangular arch-gabled train sheds, very high with ventilation and windows to upper levels. Very high, arch-gabled rectangular train shed with ramp adjoining and single storey, 3-bay office block. Red brick with red brick dressings; some ashlar skews to arched gables; visible iron girder construction to interior. Base, string and corbelled brick eaves course. Giant angle pilasters linked to mutuled band courses. Semicircular and circular fenestration to gables and sides. Visible steel girder construction sides single shed. Segmental-arched and rectangular fenestration to office; later rectangular fenestration to single shed. Skew gabled shed and office range with kneeler putts. Yellow stock brick retaining and boundary walls and gatepiers.

RAILWAY BUILDING:

SE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: to left, high 5-bay shed accessed by sloped ramp (formerly containing railway track): central brick-voussoired engine pend breaking upper band course, now blind circular window above to centre of arched-gablehead with row of ventilation holes to lower flanks. To flanks of entrance pend, angle pilasters and mutuled band course forming rectangular recessed panel with string course dividing ground and 1st floor; paired semicircular windows to each panel; lower half of elevation concealed by sloped ramp with brick retaining wall to NE. To right, similar 4-bay shed with pilaster replacing engine arch; later small flat-headed pend to ground floor left breaking high base course.

NE ELEVATION: brick angle and dividing pilasters linked to eaves and base course forming recessed rectangles in 10-bayed elevation, each containing semicircular window to upper level, all now in-filled with 8th and 10th bays remaining open for ventilation; in-filled former entrance to 8th bay of ground floor.

NW (REAR) ELEVATION: to right, high 5-bay shed (accessed at front by sloped ramp): now blind central double-height, brick-voussoired engine pend breaking upper band course with blind circular windows above to centre of arched gablehead with row of ventilation holes to lower flanks. To flanks of entrance pend, angle pilasters and mutuled band course forming rectangular recessed panel with string course dividing ground and 1st floor; paired semicircular windows above; elevation now partially concealed by later addition (see below). To left, similar semicircular fenestration to 4-bay shed with pilaster replacing engine arch; small segmental-headed pend to ground floor right breaking high base course, accessed by fight of 3 concrete steps. Later timber, breeze-block and brick, multi-bayed extension abutting brick in-fill of W train shed. Brick blocked yard to SW of extension.

SW ELEVATION: brick angle and dividing pilasters linked to eaves and base course forming recessed rectangles in 10-bayed elevation, each containing semicircular window to upper level, all now in-filled with 1st bay remaining open for ventilation.

RAILWAY SHED:

NE (NOW PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: 2-storey, 5-bay elevation with girders dividing fenestration: to ground floor, 2-leaf timber doors to bays 1 and 2, later garage style door to central bay, 3 windows to 4th bay with window and door to 5th. Slightly recessed timber 1st floor with iron guard-rail extending full length; tripartite windows to outer pairs of bays with high bipartite window to centre.

SE (SIDE) ELEVATION: segmental gable-end with angle pilasters and mutuled band, eaves and high base course forming pair of rectangular recessed panels.

SW (REAR) ELEVATION: sloped ramp (formerly containing track bed) rising to leave single storey elevation with central 2-leaf boarded timber door; long timber lean-tos flanking (replacing former platform canopies) entered by doors in returns.

NW ELEVATION: segmental gable-end with angle pilasters and mutuled band, eaves and high base course forming pair of rectangular recessed panels; later rectangular window to ground floor right. High brick faced embankment wall (supporting former track and bed) adjoining to right and rising steadily to join paired sheds (listed separately) to NE.

OFFICE: single storey, 3-bay square brick office with flat roof, similarly detailed to main buildings with brick pilasters forming recessed rectangular bays.

SW (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: to left, former arched window altered to form doorway, plain blind panels to centre and left bays.

SE ELEVATION: similarly panelled with arched windows to outer bays but partially concealed by timber shed to SE.

NE ELEVATION: 3 similar panels, central with arched window, flanking bays blind.

NW ELEVATION: segmental-headed window to central bays, arched windows to outer bays with slightly lower sills.

Circular and semicircular windows to sides of shed, likely to have been open to provide ventilation but now later brick in-fill to most; rectangular windows with 3-light glazing plans to smaller shed. Corrugated-metal roofs to all sheds, some opaque roof lights. Partially concealed cast-iron rainwater goods.

Tripartite windows to larger shed, with metal frames and plate glass glazing (some opening top hoppers to central windows); rectangular windows with segmental and arched lintels to smaller office and range, some multi-paned glazing in timber sash and case frames surviving behind boards. Corrugated-metal roof on iron supports to shed, some opaque roof lights. Piended and pitched grey slate roof with splayed eaves to office range, terracotta ridging and finials; louvred roofline ventilator to centre, cast-iron Carron light to left of main elevation. Concealed flat-roof to small office, rising behind low brick parapet. Partially concealed painted cast-iron rainwater goods. Pair of high brick stacks (one roofline and one gablehead) with band course, concrete neck copes and plain yellow clay cans.

INTERIOR: large full-height, double width shed with central STEEL girders supporting segmental-arched roof supports; in use as council refuse, recycling centre and workshops, 2002.

RETAINING AND BOUNDARY WALLS AND GATEPIERS: to W of site, yellow brick retaining wall rising to follow track and bed, iron stairs inset into wall for access with iron safety cage; continues (at lower height) to NW of site with pair of squared brick gatepiers (leading to former track) with ashlar pyramidal caps. Brick boundary wall running NW - SE of similar style with ashlar copes and gatepier at SE end.

Statement of Interest

The engine sheds are part of a few surviving private industrial buildings adjoining the North British Railway's Peebles to Galashiels line. The public side of the railway is still in evidence and fairly well preserved; the railway stations at Innerleithen, Cardrona and Walkerburn still survive, as do some of the viaducts. This yard is connected with the private side of the railway, which has largely now been lost. The site was formerly the town's Council owned gasworks. From 1828, a local Gas Company had supplied the town with pipes and street lighting. The original works were situated to the west of the swimming pool, on what is now a green. The Burgh Gas Supply Act of 1876 was adopted, which saw the Council buy out the company and become the new suppliers. As the consumption of gas grew, the works became too small, and (in 1905) 5 acres of land was feud from the Haystoun Estate. The works were described as "skilfully designed and well adapted" and were constructed at a cost of £25,000. The former yard is still recognisable with the dominant buildings being the huge brick railway sheds used to receive deliveries of coke for the gasworks. A small private line ran from the main NBR railway line, allowing the engine and carriages to be backed into the sheds of the Peebles Gasworks. The larger openings admitted the actual trains. These "straight sheds" were a popular plan and their designs share stylistic similarities with larger company sheds, such as the former engine roundhouse in Stoke-on-Trent. Also still on the 'gasworks' site is a surviving single shed, retaining wall and ramp, offices (all listed separately) and pair of cottages.

External Links

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